Apparatus for casting bullion blocks



Sept. 8, 1942. L. PLAss 2,295,007

APPARATUS FOR'CASTING BULLION BLOCKS Filed Jan. 31, 1940 16 g F 15 E k 11 a2 ;f m

II II II I INVENTOR Lea/w P/aJJ BY M K ATTCRNEY I Patented Sept. 8, 1942 APPARATUS FOR CASTING BULLION BLOCKS Lewis Plass, El Paso, Tex., assignor to American Smelting and Refining Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 31, 1940, Serial No. 316,465

Claims.

This invention relates to bullion blocks and to apparatus for casting and handling the same.

The principal object of the invention is to provide novel and bullion blocks.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved cast bullion block which eliminates any necessity for casting any foreign material such as anchor bolts or the like into the block for handling.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved bullion block which may be readily removed from the mold and which is well suited for handling, stacking and storing.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

improved means for casting Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention are more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the nature of the invention may be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which a specific embodiment thereof has been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a mold embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the lugs in position for forming the tong-receiving recesses;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the cast block being lifted by the handling tongs.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, the invention is shown as applied to a mold 9 which may be of the usual form and may be provided with sloping sides It! and a bottom shoulder H adapted to form a corresponding shoulder l2 (Fig. 3), near the bottom of the cast bullion block l4. The shoulder I2 provides means for handling the cast block on trucks adapted for that purpose. The mold may be formed with a bottom of the usual type which is shown as provided with elevations [6 adapted to cast depressions I! in the bottom of the block l4 adapted to facilitate the removal thereof from the mold. The mold 9 may be provided with a pair of downwardly extending lugs which may be secured to a foundation 2| by means of a rod 22. The mold may also be provided with side flanges 23 which rest upon a top flange 24 of the foundation 2| for supporting the mold.

In accordance with the present invention, the

mold is provided at its top with a pair of ears 30 130 which aframe 3| is hinged by suitable means shown as a pin 32. The frame 3| is pivotally supported by the cars 30 in a position such that the free end 33 of the frame may rest upon the opposite lip 34 of the mold as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 during the casting operation, and may be folded back as in Fig. 3 to permit removal of the block when the casting has been completed.

The frame 3| carries a pair of lugs 38, each of which is shown as comprising a hollow casting having an upwardly extending flange 39, a boss 4 adapted to receive a pin 4| by which the lug is pivoted to the frame 3!, an arcuate bo tom surface 42, and an inclined forward surface 43. The lugs are arranged to form recesses 44 in the top of the block l4 leaving a wedge-shaped section therebetween suited to be engaged by lifting tongs to be described. The surfaces 42 of the lugs 38 extend upwardly to the top surface of the molten metal and the pins 4| are displaced from the center about which the arcuate surfaces 42 are described so as to cause the lugs to assume, by their own weight, the casting position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2 and to be readily released and disengaged from the surfaces 45 of the block when the lugs are retracted by pivotal movement about the rods 4!. The lugs may thus be released from the cast block to permit the frame 3! to be lifted from the top of the mold and folded back when the casting operation is completed, as shown in Fig. 3. The frame 3| has been shown as hinged to the mold for convenience. It may, of course, be otherwise secured or may merely rest upon the top of the mold as desired. The lugs 38 should be suificiently heavy to sink in the molten metal to their proper position and may be made solid or counterweighted if necessary.

The lifting tongs 49 comprise a pair of arms 5 pivoted at 5| and having jaws 52 which have a shape similar to that of the lugs 38 and are adapted to engage the recesses 44 for lifting the block M. The arms may be attached to a pair of links 53 which are pivotally supported from a strip 54 adapted to be engaged by a lifting hook 55 or the like. An operating handle 56 maybe attached to one of the arms 50 to facilitate the manual control of the tongs.

The present mold is particularly adapted for the casting of large lead bullion blocks such, for example, as blocks weighing one or two tons or more. For the casting operation, the mold may be first washed with a standard lime wash to. facilitate later removal of th cast block. It is AMA then filled and the frame 3! brought into position across the top thereof with the lugs 38 extending into the molten metal in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2.

After the block has solidified (which operation may be aided by the application of cooling water), the lugs 38 are retracted into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 by gripping the flanges 39 with a suitable tool; The frame 3| is then lifted from the mold, leaving the recesses 44 cast in the top of the block. The jaws 52 of the tongs 49 may then be inserted in the recesses by suitable manipulation of the handle 55 and the block may be lifted directly from the mold by the lifting hook 55. This operation does not require that the mold be tilted for the removal of the block and accordingly the mold may be bolted fast to the foundation 21 as shown. This facilitates both the casting and removal operations.

It has been found that the above described bullion blocks are readily handled and stacked and do not require the subsequent removal of any foreign materials such as inverted U-bolts or other anchoring devices when the blocks are charged to melting kettles or the like.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that the same may be applied to various uses and that changes and modifications may be made therein as will readily appear to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mold for casting bullion blocks, a member adapted to be positioned across the top of said mold, a pair of lugs carried by said member, said lugs being adapted to extend into the molten metal to form recesses with downwardly-converging, opposed surfaces in the top of the block suited to receive a lifting tool, said lugs being mounted for retraction from said recesses for releasing the member from the east block.

2. In a mold for casting bullion blocks, a member adapted to be positioned across the top of said mold, a pair of lugs pivotally mounted on said member, said lugs having depending portions adapted to enter the molten metal for forming recesses in the top of the block suitable for receiving a lifting tool, said lugs being constructed and. arranged to be retracted from the block by pivotal movement.

3. In a mold for casting bullion blocks, a member hinged to one side of said mold and adapted to be positioned across the top of the mold, a pair of lugs carried by said member, said lugs being adapted to extend into the molten metal to form recesses in the top of the block suited to receive a lifting tool, said lugs being mounted to be retracted from said recesses for releasing the member from the cast block.

4. In a mold for casting bullion blocks, a member adapted to be positioned across the top of said mold, a pair of lugs pivotally mounted on said member, said lugs having depending portions adapted to enter the molten metal, said portions having arcuate lower surfaces extending to the top of the molten metal and inclined opposed surfaces forming a wedge-shaped section therebetween adapted to be engaged by lifting tongs, said arcuate surfaces being arranged to be released from the block by pivotal movement of said lugs.

5. In a mold for casting bullion blocks, a member adapted to be positioned across the top of said mold, a pair of lugs pivotally mounted on said member, said lugs having depending portions adapted to enter the molten metal, said portion having arcuate lower surfaces extending to the top of the molten metal and inclined opposed surfaces forming a Wedge-shaped section therebetween adapted to be engaged by lifting tongs, said arcuate surfaces being curved about a center displaced outwardly from the pivot tongs, said arcuate surfaces being curved about ily released from the block by pivotal movement of said lugs.

LEWIS PLASS.

C RTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

. Patent No. [2,29 ,007. September 19L 2w LEWIS PLASS.

It is hereby certified that e rror'appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as'follows: Page 2, sec- 0nd column, 'lines M G-iii, for "tongs, said ar cuate surfaces being curved "about iiy read -points of said lugs whereby the surfaces are readily";

and that the said Letters Patent should'be read with this correction therein that thesanie may confonn to' the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of october, A. D. 191 2.

Henrj Van Arsdale,

(Seal) v Acting Commissioner ofPatents. 

